Not as Dense as You Think
by WolfDemonz
Summary: Lucy obviously has feelings for the pink-haired dragonslayer. But she doesn't think he knows. But is there more to that goofy, perky Natsu everyone knows? Is there a more cunning, and sly Natsu inside, too? Rated T for foul language. Natsu x Lucy!
1. Intro l

**Hello my little wolfies~ Or readers, if you prefer me calling you that.  
This is my first Fairy Tail fanfiction, so it may seem a bit amateur at first, just warning. ^^  
I don't own Fairy Tail! Or else NaLu would've been canon...**

Natsu and Happy joyfully pranced through the forest, after just sleeping at Lucy's house, and she slowly walked behind them, looking at her feet. When she looked up at them, she just saw them fooling around as usual, and sighing, Lucy plopped down on a tree stump, glumly fiddling with her petite fingers.  
_I woke up, with Natsu's warm, muscular arms around me, and when he saw me he just laughed, and greeted me, with no other emotion in his face while I could feel mine burning up..._  
Being the dense idiot Natsu was, he didn't notice much. He didn't seem to care that he woke up in an intimate position with Lucy; he didn't seem to care as Lucy sat there, alone, in the forest, just hanging around and taking a break from all the missions they accomplish.

"Luce...?"  
Lucy shivered, as she looked up, into the onyx eyes of the pinkette mage before her.

"You ok...?"  
The Celestial Mage nervously chuckled, nodding her head in a mechanical way.

"U-Uhm, fine! Great!"

Natsu cocked his head, and frowned in disbelief as he sat beside her on the wide tree stump.  
_Damn...He's so close to me._  
Natsu's hot breath was felt on Lucy's porcelain, and delicate cheeks, as they shaded to a light shade of pink.

"You can tell me anything, Luce! We are best friends, right?"  
_I thought it would be more than "best friends" by now..._

"Y-Yeah...Partners.."  
The blonde chuckled, as the pink-haired dragonslayer smiled a toothy grin.

"Then tell me what's getting you down!"  
Lucy looked down, as she blinked before taking a sharp inhale.

"Um...I stubbed my toe on a tree stump, and it really hurts..."  
Lucy smiled with all the fake pain she could muster, and rubbed the tip of her black leather boot, as Natsu stared down at the article of clothing, and then nodded, smiling goofily.

"Oh, ok, Luce, hope your toe gets better!"  
Natsu laughed softly, and then scampered off to chat with his blue cat, which in Lucy's chocolate-brown eyes, seemed more important than her.

_How can you be so dense, Natsu...Not even bothering to ask more questions about it, in suspicion..AGH! What am I thinking?! Natsu's my best friend, I shouldn't be thinking about him like this, I should be hanging out with him like usual, and just having fun. Of course, though, that wouldn't express my feelings enough, would it..?_

Natsu stared at the blonde beauty secretly, under the large shade of a tall tree, and sighing, sunk down, as Happy looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Natsu?"  
The dragonslayer fiddled with his callused hands, looking down.

"Its Luce. She's acting like a tree stump got her down, but I know its something else...I can sense it..."

"It just means one thing, Natsu.."  
The pinkette looked up at the flying blue cat for an answer, running a hand through his salmon hair.

"You liiike Lucy!"

"S-Shut up! I do not!"

As the tense moment was killed by Happy's childish reply, the pink-haired mage's thoughts, showed he wasn't as dense as he seemed.

**So whaddya think? :D I'll be continuing this story, so, hope you review, and help fix any errors at all! Thanks for reading!**

**~Wolfie**


	2. Intro ll

**I basically was too lazy to type up this chapter, so it might be a little rushed, but I had to do it because of a review from ****_sweetwithobsessions _****but thanks to all those who reviewed too. Natsu is purposefully OOC. Well, here you go.**

**If I owned Fairy Tail, Lucy and Natsu would've had their 30 babies by now.**

**This story may seem a bit...Meh, at first, but this is the end of the Intro, and from the next chappy on, its going to b- Different. Sorry, no spoilers, you just have to read. :D**

* * *

Lucy, who was supposed to keep the order in the partnership, was actually the oblivious one, oblivious to what Natsu really thinks, and as the cat and dragonslayer quarreled, she stood up and walked over, pretending to limp on her "injured" foot, still in the act.

"H-Hey guys, we should head back to the guild...To look for a mission...And pay for my rent..."  
Natsu and Happy stopped arguing, and looked at the Celestial Mage.

"But Luce..." Natsu spoke, cocking his head a bit. "How can you go on a mission when your foot's hurt?"

_Damn it, he got me..._

Lucy nervously chuckled, smiling.

"But I have to, for you guys, right?"

The pinkette nodded, smiling at Lucy, and then walking over, and then swooping the unsuspecting mage off her feet, bridal-style, as he smirked at her red face.

"Thanks Luce..."

The dragonslayer smiled, starting to walk down the grassy path towards Magnolia, with a flustered Luce. Said girl stole a glance at Natsu, and saw that he was calm, not at all nervous like her.

_How can I make Lucy admit that she's upset? She's not mad at me..._

The pink-haired mage looked down at the celestial mage to see her fidgeting in his tan, muscular arms, and he smirked as she played with her hands, mentally cursing Natsu for his fit bod.

_More like how can I make her admit that she's in love with me..._

"Hey Natsu, what are you thinking about? You have a smug look on your face."

His onyx eyes looked down into her chocolate-brown ones, and he chuckled before shifting her in his arms.

"Just planning how I can beat up that ice bastard!"

Lucy rolled her eyes and looked away, muttering something about immature guys, and Natsu inwardly sighed a breath of relief, looking away.

_But I have got to be careful...Lucy's not stupid._

Said girl looked up with an unfamiliar look on her face, as if she was admitting something personal, and she looked at her fidgeting hands in an attempt to hide her blushing face.

"Hey, Natsu, when you woke up this morning, and I was right next to you, did you...find it weird?"  
The pink-haired mage slowly shook his head, hoping she didn't catch the knowing glint in his dark eyes.

"Nothing? Not intimate? Not strange? Its completely normal to wake up next to a girl?"

"Geez Luce, you're acting so weird...Is your toe causing all that?" He teased, and as expected, Lucy began to object.

"Well, I-I just wanted to get that out! My toe isn't causing all that! I j-just stubbed it, so it hurts! It has nothing to do with my m-!"

"Calm down, I was just kidding. Let's ask Wendy to bandage it up so you can stop acting strange."  
Lucy huffed and crossed her arms over her ample chest, and Natsu kicked open the doors to Fairy Tail, receiving silence at first, but then cat calls and surprised whispers were directed at the two, and Lucy looked up at her partner to see his reaction, but he was just confused, and she pouted.

_God, he's so dense._

"U-Uh, thanks Natsu for carrying me back because my toe hurts!" People turned back around, disappointed and muttering about how dense the couple was.

The dragonslayer set his partner down on the stool, sliding his hand down to her bottom to set her down gently, while she squeaked and Natsu ran off to find Wendy, and Mira appeared in front of Lucy with a devious grin.

"I knew it! You two are finally a couple! I knew it! I have to ask Sting for my mon-"  
The celestial mage let out a dejected sigh, shaking her head.

"Natsu's too dense. I lied to him about stubbing my toe because I was upset that he didn't find this morning intimate."  
The white-haired barmaid's jaw dropped, and she leaned forward, setting her glass down.

"You did what?! Something intimate? With Dragneel?!"  
Lucy slapped a hand over Mira's mouth, nervously laughing and glancing around at the shocked faces.

"No, Mira, I woke up next to him, with my clothes on, and keep your voice down!"

"Woke up next to who?"

Lucy squeaked at the husky voice, turning away from Mira and waving at Wendy.

"H-Hey, Wendy, and *gulp* Natsu, I think my toe's getting better and I-I don't need to waste your time to bandage it, so, thanks! Haah.."  
Wendy nodded, but it seemed like a nod of sympathy, and she smiled and offered to help whenever she could before moving away. Lucy turned back away, not meeting Natsu's eyes and asking for a cool glass of water, Natsu sitting next to her with a confused expression.

"Are you sure you're feeling fine, Luce? Your face is all red..."

"I'm fine! I'm fine.."

_Yep, I'll make her admit sooner or later. Somehow._


	3. First Step

**Okay, my little wolfies, so this is basically going to be Natsu trying to make Lucy admit she loves him in the next few chapters, and that's all I'm telling you. Chapters 1 and 2 are just the Intro to it all. I'm going to try to keep this story on topic as possible, so...Yeah. And I'm going to add other pairings while I'm at it. Possibly, Jerza? Gruvia? Gale? Meh.**

**I _do not _own Fairy Tail or any of the characters. Just the plot. Everything else is owned by Hiro Mashima.   
**

(By the way, I used Get-a-Guy-to-Admit-That-He-Likes-You for some of the information in these chapters, just switching the male and female roles around.)

* * *

"Oi, flame head, stop bothering Lucy!"

This brought Natsu to his first step, on getting Lucy to admit her obvious feelings.

_Alright, in order for Lucy to admit, first, I need to make sure that the field is clear of any possible rivals._

"You're bothering her with your _voice_, ice prick! Go bother Juvia or something!"

Natsu swung around, growling at Gray, ignoring the blonde's objections to his phrase, and smashed his forehead against the Ice Mage's, staring coldly into his eyes.

"You two are so immature! Both of you are bothering me!" Lucy stomped off, fuming, just as Natsu stuck out his tongue at Gray and followed her.

"Sorry about Gray, Luce. He's a real pain in the ass sometimes. I wonder why Juvia likes that." He mischieviously smirked, leaning on the table as Lucy scooted away on her stool from him, with reddened cheeks.

"Ugh...Y-You're so gross, Natsu..."

_She stuttered, so she's probably nervous around me._

"Is Gray gross, then? Is Hibiki or Loke gross?"

He unconsciously clenched his fists, hoping that she would reply with what he wanted to hear.

_Am I special out of all them?_

Lucy raised an eyebrow, and then smiled, laughing, a sound that warmed Natsu's heart, and he treasured that sound in his mind and stored it in his memory so he cou-

"No, just you."

_Close enough. _

Natsu pouted childishly and crossed his arms, pretending that he didn't see her stare at him with her blush on her cheeks.

"But Gray's a stripper! And Loke's...Just a pervert!"

"Who're you calling stripper, retard?"

Natsu growled, swinging back around, upset that Gray had interrupted his conversation with Luce.

"Who else but you, ice princess?"

There was a blur of crimson, and Lucy sighed when Erza walked away from two bruised and beaten bodies, and sat next on the wooden stool next to the blonde.

"Lucy. You seem a bit down. If anyone's bothering you, I can beat them up fo-"

The celestial mage cut in, nervously waving her hands around, awkwardly laughing.

"Nonono, Erza, its nothing like that...Its just..."

She stole a glance at Natsu for a few moments, whose back was facing the girls as they spoke. And after she made sure that he was unconscious not to hear her next phrase, she looked back at Erza with her large brown eyes.

"Natsu..." She whispered, slumping. "He's so _confusing_ sometimes, you know? He's the only one that does this to me."

However, unknown to the females, a certain pink haired dragonslayer smirked, listening to the conversation the whole time, and he silently chuckled.

_Step one, check._

**And that wraps up that. I took a ****_long _****time to upload, but I have schooling in the summer, so I never really got around for it. Your support really pushed me to spare some time to upload this chapter, though, so I want to thank you guys. :D Did you see how I implied Gruvia in this chappy?  
I'll work on the next one right away, though.**

**Please review!**

**~Wolfie**

**(Also, the cover image is not mine, its by Nishi06 on DeviantArt! Go check out her profile!)**


	4. Second Step

**See readers, I updated earlier than usual! Aren't you proud? No? Ok...  
Well here's the latest installment of Not As Dense As You Think! :D**

* * *

Like any another day, Natsu and Lucy were walking to the guild together, Lucy waking up to Natsu's innocent sleeping face again, like usual.  
And also, she would get mad that he didn't care when he woke up to her flustered face.

So she puffed out her cheeks and walked ahead, leaving Natsu walking behind, staring at the sky in thought. His muscular and tan arms around his head as he followed her.

His blue exceed, Happy, halted from his flying and perched on his salmon hair, whispering into the mage's ear.

"Hey Natsu, you know that Lucy liii-"

"Yes, yes, I know all of it, everyone can stop repeating that. I'm past that now."

It was getting repetitive, what everyone was saying. Yes, he _seemed _dense, but that didn't mean that eveyrone needed to constantly spell it out for him. No matter how much he liked to hear it, it was getting annoying.

He was past that step, and now he needed to get some answers. He knew that he was a cocky little shit, and most of the time, his opponents would make sure he knew. No matter how cocky or confident he was, he still was going to confirm his assumptions...Just in case...

He walked a little faster, catching up to the celestial mage who glanced at him for a moment, who then huffed, looking away, obviously upset.

He knew.

He knew that she was upset because he didn't react the way she wanted him to when they woke up together, tangled like Lucy's golden hair in the morning. It was because he was used to it. He hoped that they could wake up like that more in the future.

But if he wanted that future, he was going to have to get some answers now, in the present. And even if he _did _have a strong reaction to it, he could easily hide it.

Just like he hid the fact that he was not as dense as everyone thought he was.

But that wasn't important now. He tapped Lucy's shoulder and grinned at her.

"Hey Luce, who are you interested in?" He leaned in closer to her to see her reaction.

The blonde choked on her saliva, looking at him with large brown eyes, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stifle his laugh at her adorable surprised expression.

"I...W-What? You mean like...a love interest?"

Natsu nodded impatiently, waiting for her reply. Geez, he thought that Lucy was supposed to be the smart one. Of course he did!

She looked at the pavement, feeling heat rush toward her porcelain cheeks, trying to come up with a reasonable answer without _really _revealing her 'love interest,' because the person that she was thinking of was walking right beside her.

But her answer only resulted in random spurts of words.

"I...Well...Erm...Uh..."

She was fiddling with her fingers nervously, drawing a blank.

"How do you feel about being in a relationship at the moment?"

Maybe he was asking too fast. But it was because he really wanted to get some answers before they reached the guild. He loved everyone in it like _nakama _but sometimes some of them could be nosy, and irritating idiots.

Especially Gray.

"Um...I don't know...Why are you ev-"

"Do you have anyone in mind? Anyone special?"

Her cheeks seemed to redden more, if that was possible, and she looked like the tomato version of Lucy.

"Not really..." She squeaked, trying to hurry ahead.

Natsu felt a bit disappointed, but then reminded himself that she would never admit to him her love interest.  
Yet. And he smirked before asking:

"Well, what about me?"

The celestial mage coughed, sputtering out random words again, as Natsu bit his lip.

"Wha-"

Happy was snickering behind the two, singing and chanting about how Lucy liiiked Natsu while they all neared the guild.

"C'mon Luce, let's get to the guild before everyone starts to worry!"

His large, warm hand encased her petite one, and he ran to the guild, a confused, but flustered Lucy following behind.

* * *

"And that's what happened..."

The celestial mage sighed, her hand supporting her cheek as she spoke to the white-haired barmaid, her other hand tracing circles on the table.

"Lucy, you _absolutely have_ to get with him! Its obvious he's using his _magic _to get you!

Lucy stared at Mira lazily.

"Mira, the only Magic that Natsu knoes is Fire Dragonslayer Magic."

Mira giggled, shaking her head.

"No, Lucy, I meant he's using his moves on you." Her smile grew as Lucy's face reddened in realization, but the barmaid tilted her head when the celestial mage scoffed.

"Mira, please. Natsu's too dense to do anything like that...hahaha..."

Although her mouth said these things, a part of Lucy wanted to doubt herself, and think that Natsu could actually return her feelings, and he was just waiting on her to confess. But another, and larger part of herself told her that it was just her imagination, and she sighed dejectedly,missing Mira's knowing smile.

"Alright Lucy, whatever you say."

A Solid Script mage plopped down in the stool next to Lucy's, gushing.

"Guess what Gajeel made for me!"

The celestial mage's head fell on the table roughly. This was _just _what she discussing her happy relationship with the Iron Dragonslayer just when Lucy was having relationship problems herself.

"Sorry Levy, I'm not exactly in the mood to hear. Maybe next time." She weakly smiled, as Levy frowned slightly, but after a look from Mira, the girl understood and patted Lucy's shoulder.

"Its ok, Lucy, you'll be in a relationship with Natsu soon."

"WHAT?! I NEVE-"

"I understand your needs, but hang in there, alright?" Mira joined in, snickering with the other mage.

"YOU TWO ARE SPEAKING NONSENSE. NONSENSE, DO YOU HEAR ME? I NEVER SAID I LIKED NATSU!" She screeched, slamming her palm on the wooden table, irritated, but flustered. She obviously did, though.

"Loud and clear, Luce."

Lucy turned around to see Natsu's grinning, smug face, the last person she wanted to see at that moment, and she realized that he probably heard all of that, and she groaned, her head falling to the table once more.

_Step 2...Meh. Good enough._

* * *

**Alright, that's the fourth installment of this storeh. Natsu has finished his second step, to getting Lucy to admit her feels~! How many more are there? Will he succeed? Find out next time! Or..the times after that!**

**Thank you to all of those who supported my story so far, it means a lot to see your reviews or just favorites and follows. Keep reading!**

**~Wolfie**


	5. Third Step

**Alright, the fifth chap is up!  
I wrote this literally _right _after I uploaded Chapter 4, but I didn't really feel like writing after I did so...So I just did a crappy job. But, no matter how long it takes, I will never use the excuse "Sorry if this chapter is rushed/crap, I wanted to upload soon." Nope. I will take time to write something decent.  
Okay, you can read, now.**

* * *

Natsu attentively watched Lucy stand up from her spot on the stool, to go to the bathroom, and as soon as her perfect ass was out of sight, he rushed over to her seat and sat down, to the surprise of Mira and Levy, and grinned at the two girls, as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Uh, hey girls...Mind if I ask you two a quick question..?" He turned his head, glancing to make sure that Lucy wouldn't come back sooner than he thought that she would. Didn't she usually take long in bathrooms? Maybe he was just being sexist. On missions, the blonde would take forever in the bathroom. Even when it wasn't that time of month. He directed his attention back to Mira, not noticing that she was holding back a smirk. The white bombshell knew welk what the pinked-haired mage was going to ask. It was pretty obvious if he came scrambling toward them _just _after the celestial mage had left for the bathroom. She hummed, and set the glass down on a rack, leaning over the table. Levy blankly stared at the two, before she noticed Mira's smug expression and realization dawned on the bluenette, smirking as well and resting her elbow on the table.

"Shoot."

"Do you...know...if..Luce is interested in anyone...?" He hesitantly asked, thinking that he would sound cooler saying it out loud, but then realized that the two would most likely pass these questions back to the blonde.

The barmaid and Levy shared a look, knowing well that Natsu was going to ask that. Levy innocently put a finger on her chin, pretending to be in deep thought.

"Natsu...Out of all people, you should know the answer to _that _question best." The solid script mage said, giggling at his irritated expression.

"Please just answer my question." He snapped, not liking how defenseless he seemed. Mira tapped her cheek, humming.

"Why don't you just ask her yourself? There's nothing wrong with that, right?"

Natsu brought his palm to his forehead, done with the two. He should've known that they were going to be difficult about giving him answers. Maybe this step wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. Why did girls have to be so confusing? Why couldn't they be more straight to the point.

Turning to Mira and Levy, he pouted cutely, putting his hands on his cheeks and looked at Mira and Levy.

"Pretty pwease? Just tell me who, and I'll be on my way!"

Levy was about to relent, sighing until she squeaked when Gajeel picked her up and sat down where she was, setting the frail girl in his lap. Natsu rolled his eyes at the Iron dragonslayer, not hearing Mira speak.

"Instead of trying to make Lucy confess, why don't you do it your-"

"Oi nerd, were you bothering shrimp?" Gajeel roughly asked, a hand on Levy's waist.

"No, metal head. By the way, I need to know who Luce likes." He casually said, leaning against the bar.

"Bunny Girl? I'd say that she like-"

"Hey, guys, what are we talking about?" They all turned to see Lucy standing behind them, staring at them back curiously, and Natsu chuckled, clearing his throat.

"About...The good couples...In the guild..." Natsu mentally facepalmed, knowing that Mira and the others at the bar were going to hint at him and Luce. But the thing that irritated him more than that was that he brought this subject up himself.

"Oh...Who did you mention?" The celestial mage asked, sitting down on the stool next to Natsu.

The iron dragonslayer snorted, before answering.

"Natsu and you, Bunny girl."

Natsu felt his cheeks warm, punching Gajeel square in the jaw, telling him to shut up. But the fire dragonslayer couldn't help but smirk a bit, now finally getting an answer. He glanced at Lucy to see her red face, and their gazes met, as he toothily grinned at her, and she slowly, but shyly smiled back.

_Step 3, check. _

* * *

**Wasn't that the most... decent ending to a chapter ever? I want to tell you guys so BAD what I want to do with the rest of the story but I don't want to spoil! Well, I'll give you a hint, at least. Lucy isn't the only one confessing. THAT'S _ALL _I'M TELLING YOU READERS. And I have a Writer's Block, so I don't know if they should go on a mission, or what it would be, so please tell me what the mission should be in the reviews. Keep on reading!  
~Wolfie**


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